BillnutinHouston

This is a quote from Mary Owen (Ralph's niece by marriage) in the recent Buffalo News article, on the team's regionalization efforts: "Did we know that we would experience some backlash? We did. But you say, 'We're doing this for the benefit of that fan base.' That's another thing with working for Mr. Wilson, working for Russ Brandon, is we have the right intentions. People will get it as they watch our actions and see us go along this process. You've probably noticed, over that period of time people now understand: 'OK, we get it.'" If you are Mary Owen there are only 2 possible reasons why you say this: 1) because you're naive and being completely taken in by Ralph - unlikely or 2) the sentiment is sincere. I've long believed that the Bills genuinely believe they NEED to regionalize just to keep up with the rest of the league. The rest of us just need to get on board and drop the parochial mindsets.

This is exactly correct. WNY'ers need to think beyond the end of their nose (for once), or the NFL will pass you by.

Dead to you? Why the hate?

I loved Kenny. He was not as pretty a runner as Thurman was, but I think he actually had a better burst.

Also made my air/room rez months ago - it's "Job 1" on schedule release day! I'm at the Red Roof near the airport.

I forgot how much the Bills work out of the shotgun.

Not sure what's funnier, this statement or that fact that I actually caught the typo.

I think Nix has done a good job, in fact I literally told him as much right before my daughter snapped this picture (before the Eagles game last year). I'm sure my opinion was quite reassuring to him (sarcasm off). While I think Nix has done a good job, I'm not sure that the statistics laid out by the OP really make the case. These same stats can be interpreted as a measure of just how bad the roster was that Buddy inherited.

I found the juxtapositioning of rap, Sabres images and Jeannerette's voice a bit disorienting.

I'm even more confused by this response than I was by your first statement where you opined "As far as the season ticket holders feeling that they are somehow bigger supporters dollars wise is just stupid." Can you further clarify your point?

Not regionalizing is not an option for this franchise. Because of Buffalo's small size, its version of regionalizing into Canada is pretty much equivalent to other NFL cities just now starting to market to their own northwest suburbs. The "Buffalo Bills" is a 50+ year, storied, iconic brand name, steeped in history and tradition. You don't casually mess with that unless/until your fanbase has already gone 60-70% Canadian as a result of other, organic means. I don't think you rebrand in an effort to gain fans, as that would backfire. It's more appropriate to gain Canadian fans then rebrand (way, way down the road, if ever) to better capture the essence of the fanbase. I believe a Niagara Falls stadium would do far more to attract Canadian fans than a name change would.

Stupid? OK then let's make a deal. You pay my season ticket invoice for me, and in exchange I'll do my part by staying home and watching commercials on TV. Fair deal?

I choose to support the Bills through my season ticket purchase even though the blackout rule (as it pertains to the Bills) means nothing to me. So I can't sympathize with any "fan" complaining about this decision, if they don't have any skin in the game. Call me old fashioned but our institutions (whether sports teams or government) can't survive for long when the "takers" who expect something for nothing, outnumber the "givers".

Thanks for the tip.

Ditto this ^. Maintains my connection to Buffalo in between visits.

I agree with all of this. What blows my mind is that ever since becoming a Club seat holder, I've become aware of how many of the "fans" in the red seats spend big chunks of their time during the game INSIDE, eating/drinking and watching the dozens of TVs nearby. Why come to the game then spend the day INSIDE? Can someone explain the attraction to me?

Great post! Being sent over to Youtube, you can see that there's actually some great vintage Bills clips there.

Can you support this statement by pointing to a recent public appearance? As I recall, last year's opener was the first he's ever missed, and I can't recall the last time he's been seen in public.

Dumb Yahoo Sports article saying Bills to get new stadium Lazy media at it again. They take Poloncarz' recent statements to mean a new stadium will be built. Yet another example of embarrassingly poor journalism.

Anyone else caught the irony of this conversation? The OP starts a thread to complain how he's tired of reading about Bell (thereby adding to the Bell reading material out there), and then he posts 5 more times in his own thread, to keep the conversation going. Stop punishing yourself!

Correct. Texas is a right-to-work state, therefore project budgets don't have to account for union wages.

Won a contest on the old "Monday Night Quarterback" radio show with John Murphy, and got 1st row seats behind the glass for 3 Sabres games at the Aud, plus a personalized Sabres jersey. At one of those games I got to go on the ice at intermission to shoot a puck for a chance to win a car. None of the contestants won the car, but it was still a cool experience and I remember being struck by how bright the lights were on the ice. In the Super Bowl years I sat on the 30 yard line, 10 rows behind the Bills bench. Sat with players' families many times - went on the field a time or two. Recently, sat on 50 yard line in the Clubs, and have been on the field for a pre-game visit a few times. A pretty surreal experience - got some great photos of my kids with some current players as well as Kelly and Thurman. This is how I got my avatar photo. Last year, sat in 3rd row behind Red Sox dugout at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Sweet. Sat in 4th row of Cirque du Soleil show in Disney - very cool. Possibly topping all of these may be sitting on the beach at Buck Island just off the coast of St. Croix - truly heaven on earth.

So true. It's always fun to come here, get tips and see who got what. Gets the competitive juices flowing!

Wow had no idea it was that big.